The field of the disclosure relates generally to cooling motors and, more specifically, to using axial fans to cool electric motors.
Some known axial fans include an impeller having a plurality of blades positioned around a hub. A motor rotates the impeller about an axis and the impeller directs air in a direction substantially parallel to the axis. As the impeller directs air, the airflow has different air velocities and, thus, air pressures along the blades of the impeller. The differences in air pressure generate inefficient flow structures, which equate to energy losses. Typically, fans generate inefficient flow structures near the hub, underneath the blades, and where airflow enters the fan.
Some enclosed electric motors utilize axial fans for cooling. The electric motors generally include a stator and a rotor that are fully enclosed within a housing. The axial fan is connected at an end of a rotor shaft to boost air circulation over the housing and to increase heat dissipation from the rotor and stator to the ambient environment. Some of these fan-cooled electric motors include a fan cowl to facilitate directing cooling air over the outer surface of the electric motor housing. These systems for cooling enclosed motors create points of high pressure and, thus, generate inefficiencies and noise.